A-Level Overview Year 1:Government and Politics

Term / Teacher: Miss Mather
/ Key Skills / PSAs / Deadlines
1 / UK (Paper 1)
Democracy and participation – 20 hours
  • Current systems of representative democracy and direct democracy
  • Wider franchise and debates over suffrage
  • Pressure groups and other influences
  • Rights
Electoral systems – 15 hours
  • Different electoral systems
  • Referendums sand how they are used
  • Electoral systems analysis
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
2 / UK (Paper 1)
UK Political Parties – 20 hours
  • Conservative Party
  • Labour Party
  • Liberal Democrats
  • Emerging and minor UK Political parties
  • Current/recent policies
Voting behaviour and the media – 15 hours
  • Class voting and other social factors influencing voting patterns
  • Case studies of three key general elections
  • Influence of the media
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
Paper One mock (partial)
3 / UK (Paper 2)
The UK Constitution - 15 hours
  • Nature and sources of the UK constitution
  • Reforms since 1997
  • Role and powers of devolved bodies and impact of devolution
  • Debates on further reforms
Prime Minister and Cabinet – 20 hours
  • Structure, role and powers of the Executive
  • Ministerial responsibility
  • Relationship between Prime Minister and Cabinet
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
4 / UK (Paper 2)
Parliament – 15 hours
  • Structure of Commons and Lords
  • Comparative powers of Commons and Lords
  • Legislative process
  • Relationship between Parliament and Executive
Relations between institutions – 20 hours
  • Supreme Court and interactions with legislative process
  • Aims, role and impact of the EU
  • Location of sovereignty in the UK system
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
Paper Two mock (partial)
5 / Political Ideas (Papers 1 & 2)
Liberalism – 15 hours
  • Core ideas and principles – how they relate to human nature, the state, society and economy
  • Tensions between classical and modern liberalism
  • Ideas of key thinkers – Locke, Wollstonecraft, Mill, Rawls, Friedan
Conservatism – 15 hours
  • Core ideas and principles – how they relate to human nature, the state, society and economy
  • Tensions between traditional, One Nation and New Right ideas
  • Ideas of key thinkers – Hobbes, Burke, Rand, Oakeshott, Nozick
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
6 / Political Ideas (Papers 1 & 2)
Socialism – 15 hours
  • Core ideas and principles - how they relate to human nature, the state, society and economy
  • Tensions between revolutionary, social democracy and the Third Way
  • Ideas of key thinkers – Marx, Engels, Webb, Luxemburg, Crosland, Giddens
Optional Idea – 15 hours
  • Core ideas, principles and tensions of either Nationalism, Multiculturalism, Feminism, Anarchism or Ecologism.
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
Full Paper One and Two mocks

A-Level Overview Year 2: Government and Politics

Term / Teacher: Miss Mather
/ Key Skills / PSAs / Deadlines
1 / US (Paper 3)
US Constitution and federalism – 20 hours
  • Nature and principles of the US Constitution
  • Interpretations and debates
  • Comparisons to UK: Similarities and differences between each constitution, their nature, sources, provisions, separation of powers, checks and balances
US presidency – 15 hours
  • Formal, constitutional sources of presidential power and their use
  • Informal sources of presidential power and their use
  • Roles and powers of the presidency
  • Interpretation and debates of the US presidency
  • Comparisons to the UK:Comparison of roles, powers and limitations of the President and Prime Minister, extent of accountability to legislature.
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
2 / US (Paper 3)
Electoral systems–15 hours
  • Presidential elections and their significance
  • Campaign finance
  • Debates surrounding elections including Electoral College and incumbency
Political parties – 10 hours
  • Key ideas and principles of the Democratic and Republican parties
  • Changing significance of the parties
  • Current conflicts and influences within the parties
  • Groups of supporters for each party
  • Debates surrounding party unity, party policy and voting groups
Pressure Groups – 10 hours
  • Significance, resources, and tactics
  • Debates on impact on interest groups on democracy
Comparisons to the UK: nature of party system, degree of unity within parties, policies, campaign finance, methods and influence of pressure groups. / Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
Paper 3 – Mid-Unit Mock
3 / US (Paper 3)
US Supreme Court – 20 hours
  • Nature and role of Supreme Court
  • Appointment process for the Supreme Court
  • Public policy role
  • Protection of rights and civil liberties
Civil rights – 5 hours
  • Race and rights in contemporary US politics
Comparisons to the UK: the basis for their power, impact on government and policy, relative independence of each Court, effectiveness of rights protection, impact and effectiveness of interest groups in protecting rights. / Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
4 / US (Paper 3)
US Congress – 15 hours
  • Structure and functions of Congress
  • Interpretations and debates around Congress
  • Comparisons to the UK: membership of each House, powers, relationship between the two houses of each system
Federalism – 5 hours
  • Main characteristics of federalism
  • Debates surrounding changes to federalism in the US.
  • Comparisons to the UK: How far the UK model of devolution parallels the US federal system.
/ Read relevant textbook pages
Keep notes up to date
Regular essay practise
Weekly homework deadlines
Paper 3 –Full Mock
5 / Revision
/ Revision
Regular essay practice
Mock examinations
6 / Examination